Security Council

The following Security Council press statement on Iraq/Kuwait was read out today by Council President Claude Heller ( Mexico):

Echoing the Secretary-General’s view that a solution to the situation in Cyprus was “well within reach”, the Security Council this morning extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force there, known as UNFICYP, for a further six months, until 15 December 2010.

The current Gaza crisis must be turned into an opportunity for real change on the ground while proximity talks were sustained with a view to holding direct talks as soon as possible, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council this morning. “This body clearly stated two weeks ago that the situation in Gaza is not sustainable,” said Robert Serry in the regular briefing on the Middle East conflict.

An integrated approach to stability in Sudan, linking peace in Darfur to preparations for the January referendum on the future of Southern Sudan, was presented to the Security Council by officials of the United Nations and the African Union this morning.

The arrest of two prominent Sudanese citizens indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity was crucial for bringing peace to Darfur and ending impunity, Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told the Security Council today.

The following Security Council press statement regarding the mediation efforts by Qatar to resolve the border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea was read out today by Council President Claude Heller (Mexico):

Expressing deep concern about Iran’s lack of compliance with its previous resolutions on ensuring the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, the Security Council imposed additional sanctions on the country today, expanding an arms embargo and tightening restrictions on financial and shipping enterprises related to “proliferation-sensitive activities”.

The Security Council Sanctions Committee established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) welcomes the recent appointment by the Secretary-General of Judge Kimberly Prost (Canada) to serve as Ombudsperson, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1904 (2009).

The Security Council this morning extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts monitoring sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea until 12 June 2011. Acting under the binding Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 1928 (2010) maintaining the current mandate of the group that it established on 12 June 2009, when the body also condemned a nuclear weapons test conducted by the east Asian country and toughened the sanctions regime on it.

Concerned by the “new challenges and threats” the Government and people of Haiti faced in the aftermath of the devastating 12 January earthquake, the Security Council today authorized deployment of further 680 police to the United Nations peacekeeping mission there, in addition to the boosted force levels provided in January chiefly to assist Haitian authorities throughout the coming electoral period and subsequent transfer of power early next year.